i have succumbed to the silliness of the innernets once again. i have joined Twitter. Twitter is “micro-blogging“… updated more regularly than a blog. every few hours if you want or i guess once a day would work too. anyway, it’s supposed to be up-to-the-minute updates of what you’re doing. and while i don’t know anyone who wants that kind of info on me, i figured it’s worth trying out.

so, if you’re a Tweeter (?) and would like to follow me… this is me…

i’ve discovered there are actually quite a few of these micro-blogging sites out there. Plurk is one i’ve heard of recently as well as Spoink. so why Twitter over these others? no particular reason other than i’ve read more and heard more about Twitter than the others.

so, this may not be news to those who follow these things… but i just found out about it.

they’re filming a new episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition about 2 miles from where i work. i pass by the area on my route to & from work.

how cool. some friends and i are going to try to make it to the site tomorrow or maybe friday to check things out… maybe catch a Ty sighting. maybe we can be in the crowd when they “move the bus” too!

i’ve been trying to focus my efforts on dying to self and selfishness. no matter how many times i’m told that i’m not, i still feel too self-serving. i am blessed in wonderful and tremendous ways and it is my duty to pass those blessings on. dying to selfishness is a long and hard process… though overwhelmingly amazing. for me, part of this process has been to find ways to give back to the people around me… both those close to me and to those i don’t personally know.

one simple, easy way to give back is to donate blood. since february this year, i have given blood 3 times. the first two times were whole blood donations, but this last time it was suggested i give a “double red” and i did… it’s where they take 2 pints of whole blood then run it through a machine that you’re hooked to and separate the red blood cells, then give you back your plasma mixed with saline. this is essentially what’s done after you give whole blood, it’s just done right there while you’re giving it. i asked the phlebotomist what the differences were between giving a “double red” as opposed to whole blood. this is what she told me:

• the red blood cells are ready to use immediately as opposed to having to put the blood through the process of separating the components. so they have one pint of red cells they can immediately add to their bank.
• because you’re getting back fluids, some people don’t feel as light-headed or “woozy” after giving (i generally don’t anyway… and i felt just fine after giving the double red.)
• she did say that some people feel a little bit of tingling around the mouth… or sometimes feel cold as the plasma/saline mix is given back. this is because it has become room temperature which is colder than normal body temp. (i did feel just a tiny bit of coolness during the return process, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.)
• there are some height/weight restrictions on giving a double red which are a little different than for whole blood
• because they take twice as many red blood cells, you have to wait twice as long between donations (8 weeks instead of 4)

when i made the decisions to give blood, i decided i would do it as often as they’d let me. the need for blood is never-ending. for me, it is a simple way to help those who need it… to potentially save their life. and even thought i’ll likely never meet someone who has received my blood, i know i’ve touched someone’s life.

so, in closing… if you can donate… please do… regularly… whether whole blood or a “double red”! i know plenty of people that want to and can’t because of various restrictions, so that means those of us who can should, as often as possible. it takes less than an hour every 4 weeks for whole blood or 8 weeks for “double red” donations.

if you’re in the Greater Cincinnati area, visit Hoxworth’s website to find a donation location near you.

anyone outside of this area, i encourage you to find a local place to donate or to contact the Red Cross who can help you find a place to donate.

i made chicken & rice soup last night in my crock pot… sans the mixed veggies and adding some chopped up garlic cloves. i set it on low about 8:30 and let it go all night. and oh wow… my apartment smelled a-mah-zing! this morning. i love the smell of onions cooking anyway. i didn’t get to try any then, but just had some for lunch and it tastes just as amazing as it smells.

trying to find a good stash of crock pot recipes i can start making. i have to start cooking more… if i don’t i end up eating out and eating a lot of fast food. this does not bode well with the “lifestyle changes” i’m trying to make.

i’ve been slacking off the gym, but went back monday night. decided it’s easier for me to go in the evenings than before work… even though going before work makes me feel great. doesn’t really matter when i do it, just as long as i do it… and consistently.

also… i found this little epiphany of mine rather amusing. the other day i wanted something to drink besides water (generally all i have at home besides coffee or tea… and sometimes milk) but didn’t want to go out to the store for anything. then it dawns on me… i have a big bottle of lemon juice… water… and sugar…. i made lemonade! :p it’s silly that i got so used to making lemonade from a powered and packaged concoction that it never occurred to me that you could make it with real lemon juice…. :p

i bought some lemons last night to make some completely “fresh.”

i can finally reveal what i’ve been knitting on the past month and a half because even though it’s not done the recipient knows about it now.

i’m making a Dr. Who Scarf for my beloved

visit the Ravelry project page

this is a relatively easy project stitch-wise. it’s all garter stitch which, for the non-knitting, means it’s row after row after row of the same stitch over and over again. the nice thing that breaks up the monotony of that is obviously changing colors. i started out simply adding in the new color at the beginning of the row by doing the first two stitches with both the new and old color (like the pattern suggests). which is fine, but leaves you with tons of ends to weave in once the project is complete. this probably wasn’t the best way to do it for me. but, i started the project a couple weeks before my boyfriend was coming to visit and wanted to do it as easily as possible (ie. not having to learn a new technique) to get it done in time. (i obviously did not get it done in time, since he came and left a month ago… hehe.) last week though i discovered this technique for weaving in ends while knitting and were i to do this scarf again i’d definitely use it. i will be learning that technique for future projects though.

Heart Hat

i also crocheted this tapestry heart hat for myself a couple weeks ago.

visit the Ravelry project page

i pulled some stash acrylic to make this hat. i can’t find the pattern on Caron’s or Ravelry’s site (i picked it up as one of those free little pattern sheets at a store somewhere), but it’s worked in the round carrying the unused color behind the working color. it came out beautifully i think. unfortunately, it ended up too small for my head. so, i’ll probably be passing it on. if i ever get the time to figure out the calculations to add another repeat to the pattern i may try to make it for myself again. (or maybe just use a much larger hook.)

it’s always nice when the day after a really crummy day is a really good day.

it’s officially official… i get to see my darling in person in less than 18 days!! his flight was booked today and makes me ecstatic, excited and anxious all at once to know that sooner than i can imagine i’ll get to spend a straight full 9 days with him… nothing but us together. i’m taking the time off work… and it’s going to be so nice to actually take a real vacation. even if i don’t leave Cincinnati… it’ll be vacation.

some things i have planned for us while he’s here:

• Blue Wisp Jazz Club
• Eden Park & Krohn Conservatory
• Fountain Square
• Cincinnati Art Museum
• Cincinnati Museum Center
• Jungle Jim’s
• Newport on the Levee
• Covington, KY & Mainstrasse Village
• Montgomery Inn
• Skyline Chili
• various other stops at my hometown favorites…

it’s strange planning a vacation in a city you’ve lived in your whole life. there’s so much about Cincinnati i don’t know, places here that i’ve never been…

oh, the “joys” of being on my own… ok… maybe it’s more the “joys” of living in an apartment building.

apparently in the wee hours of the morning this morning, my neighbors toilet backed up. maintenance man fixed it for them with a snake… however… whatever happened caused a flood of sewage to spill into my kitchen from the utility room. so… i woke up this morning to an awful stench and the kitchen floor covered in ick. *blech*

after moving kitty food dishes and litterboxes and kitties themselves to my bedroom i called maintenance. he explained what had happened in the middle of the night and how it had been 4:30 in the morning and he didn’t want to wake people uneccesarily. apparently, the back up was worse in my apartment than in my neighbors (he told me this after coming in.) though i am grateful for his speedy response and efforts… simply mopping it up without really cleaning anything made me very unhappy.

since coming in to work, i called the manager and she’s sent the housekeeper to clean up. but, i’m still aggravated at the whole thing. maintenance man didn’t even get into my utility room to mop it up in there. this requires moving my refrigerator as the frig covers the utility room door by just a smidge… enough that the door can’t be opened. i’ve never seen the inside of the utility room. which really isn’t an issue as it’s simply space for the water heater and furnace. i also told him that i wished he had woken me up. yes, it was the middle of the night… but i explained that my cats were out and that the kitchen is where their food dishes sit… and this wasn’t just water… it was SEWAGE… as in waste from people’s bathrooms.

*sigh* i’ve cancelled plans for tonight so i can go home and give everything a good scrubbing. i’m doing this even though the housekeeper is supposed to clean it today. i have to for my own peace of mind. also, have to say goodbye to the kitchen rug and toss it in the dumpster. it was a favorite… but i can buy another. not going to even try to salvage it.

:/

anyone who reads this blog use an online service for printing digital photos?

i’m looking at two. i’ve been printing photos at home on card stock, but my ink ran out and i will get more… but got to thinking that it might be nice if i had more professional looking prints. anyway, i’m looking at two services right now, but am open to suggestion if anyone had a recommendation.

Snapfish seems the slightly cheaper option after calculating an average order of 20 prints including shipping. but it’s an HP service so they use HP paper.

Winkflash is only slightly more expensive, but uses Fuji paper, which i like better.

online storage isn’t an issue as i like picasa best for that. the options for sizes, finishes and “extras” (greeting cards, gifts, etc.) are nice but not necessary… though i think most services offer that stuff anyway. i mainly want it for your regular 4×6 prints for albums and maybe the option to order some larger prints for display.

anyone have any thoughts or recs??

i’m sad i missed the Rose parade yesterday and totally forgot about them being there until they talked about it on the news today.

West Chester Band Marches in Rose Bowl

i was a marching Firebird my senior year… the year they opened Lakota West and Lakota East high schools (97-98 school year). we didn’t get to go anywhere that year, but my junior year (when it was still just Lakota High School) we went to the Citrus Bowl. we’d always tried to go to the Rose Bowl, but were never able to make it. Citrus Bowl was fun though… we spent the week between christmas and new year’s in Orlando… got to march in a parade through Disney World and visit all the touristy places there.

so… congrats to this year’s marching band for making it all the way…

[edit] ok, so i feel like an idiot now. i realized last night that i said the marching Thunderbirds. the Thunderbird was Lakota High School’s mascot. the Firebird is the Lakota West mascot. so, i’ve changed the post to reflect that. duh!!

got my first christmas card of this season (and the first in my apartment). it was from Gary. Gary is one of the very few people i still talk to from my first years online. in fact, i want to say he is the only one i still talk to. no one could ask for a more true and faithful friend. thank you Gary!!! *hugs*

please feel free to ask for my address if you’d like it. i’m not posting it here since this is a public entry, but i have no problem giving it to friends.

i will be trying to get a few christmas cards out this year. i need to get a better system down for sending them as i would like to send them to many more people than i do. but it takes time.

christmas knitting has not gone as quickly as i had planned. but, it’s my own fault (of course it is… duh… who else is going to knit my presents). i keep trying to fill some void with shopping these days. selfish shopping too. which is no good at all. if i’m shopping the least i could be doing is buying christmas gifts. i had only planned on doing christmas for my immediate family this year. but you know if i have the money to spend on new shoes and clothes that i’ve bought lately, shouldn’t i have money for christmas presents? *sigh*

got my tree up thanksgiving weekend. thanks a million to Chris and Jill for not killing me when i asked them to help. they’re awesome… considering they were here to visit not decorate… lol. (i think that probably makes me a bad hostess though. i promise i don’t ask everyone to help me do something when they come over.) i was afraid the tree was going to be too big for my living room. and really… it is. but, it gives it a nice cozy feel. Oreo has claimed the skirt as she does most years. not sure why i bothered to put it out this year as i don’t think there’s even going to be any presents under there and it just means i have to de-fur it before i store it. speaking of storing things… i have no room to store the boxes of christmas stuff i have. i don’t have a lot… just running out of closet space and these units don’t have outside storage space like some apartments i’ve seen. that part is a bummer, but the pros still outweigh the cons of this apartment… for me at least. i definitely need to get pics up. i need a day where the place is at least semi-clean though… hehehe. i get it clean then don’t have time to take pics and then when i do have time take pics it needs cleaned again.

i think that as the end of 2007 approaches i should do some serious reflection over the last year… look back to where i was and where i went this year. i don’t usually give that much thought, but i think that it would help me with looking forward and making plans for the future. sometimes i get such a sense of dread or hopelessness about the future because i feel like i have so far to go to become a better person. part of that, though, is from not looking back to where i once was and how much better i am now compared to then.

i also feel that i should think about where i want to go with my life next year and set some meaningful and do-able goals for 2008… one of which may include going back to school.

ok, i feel like this is one of those rather boring and mundane posts that don’t mean much to anyone but me… sorry for that.